Clamp for buttonhole sewing-machines



(No Model.)

. C. A. FRENCH.

CLAMP FOR BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINES. No. 478,586. Patented July l2, 1892. y

1 mmm; grens ca., Plow-mno., wAsnmaToN, D c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. FRENCH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY OFv NEW JERSEY.

CLAMP FOR BUTTONHOLE SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,586, dated July 12, 1892. Application filed January 29,1892. staal No. 419,669. (no man.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. FRENCH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Boston,in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Buttonhole Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. y

In the stitchingof buttonholes the material is held in a clamp, the jaws of which' are usually from one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch apart, and considerable difficulty has heretofore been occasioned at the commencement of the stitching of a buttonhole at the narrow end owing to the fact that the material would stick to the needle and rise there with, thus occasioning imperfect work. After two or three stitches have been made the overedge-seam stiffens the material, so that the work will then progress properly; but until this has been done it is desirable to hold the material down on the throat-plate of the machine or on the guiding button which serves as a throat-plate, and thus vprevent it from rising with the needle Vas the latter asscends.

My invention has for its object to obviate this existing difficulty, and I accomplish this object by providing one of the jaws of the clamp with a small presser pad or finger which will be so' arranged as to press upon the work close to the end of the buttonhole-slit. This presser pad or nger is preferably made adjustable upon the clamping-jaw to which it is attached, so as to be brought into suitable position with different lengths of buttonholes. To adapt these presser pads or iingers for use with very short or Very long buttonholes, they may be formed at one end or the other of the adjustable Shanks by which they are carried.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a buttonhole-clamp provided with myimproved presser pad or nger. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are detail views showing the presser pad or finger applied to one of the jaws of the clamp; and Figs. 5 and are detailperspeetive views, somewhat enlarged, of two slightlydif ferent forms of my invention.

A denotes the base-plate of a buttonholeclamp of well-known construction, and B denotes the clamping-feet therefor. To one of the said clamping-feet is attached my improved presser pad or finger C, consisting of a thin piece of steel formed integral with a shank c, attached to one of the jaws B by the set-screw d, passing through a slot in the said shank. This slot permits the said shank to pad or finger C extends slightly below the bottom vof the clamping-jaw B, so as to press upon the work, its spring-shank permitting it to yield slightly when the jaw is forced down in clamping the work.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my improved presser pads or fingers, which are adapted to press upon the work close to the end of the buttonhole-slit, will prevent the material from rising with the needle, and will thus obviate the difficulty which has heretofore resulted from such cause. s

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a clamping-jaw of a buttonhole-clamp, of a presser pad or finger attached thereto and thus movable therewith and arranged to press upon the material at the end of the buttonhole-slit between the jaws of the clamp. p

2. The combination, with a clamping-jaw of a buttonhole-clamp, of a presser pad or finger attached thereto and provided with a s1otted shank by which it is adapted to be adjusted lengthwise of said jaw.

3. A buttonhole clamp provided with a presser pad or finger arranged between the open or separated jaws of the clamp in such' position as to press on the material at or near the end of the buttonhole-slit, said pad or finger being attached to and thus movable with one of the jaws of the clamp.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. FRENCH. Witnesses:

J. G. GREENE, W. J. PETTIT.

IOO 

